Teapot



March 15, 1955 R. RAY

TEAPOT Filed June 8, 1953 INVENTOR. BOA/2N0 PAY BY iv??? United States atent TEAPOT Roland Ray, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 8, 1953, Serial No. 360,086

Claims. (Cl. 222143) My invention relates to pitchers, more particularly to individual or small-capacity pitchers, such as used to serve tea in restaurants. Included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a pitcher which incorporates a novelly arranged drip-proof spout.

Second, to provide a special guard for the spout to prevent breakage of the spout in the course of handling, washing or stacking the pitcher.

Third, to provide a pitcher which is so shaped as to facilitate stacking of the pitchers for storage.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of my pitcher.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through 4-4 of Figure 2.

My pitcher is in the form of a substantially closed vessel 1 having approximately vertical right angularly related walls including a front wall 2. The upper side of the vessel is closed by a top deck or wall 3 which slopes upwardly toward the front wall. The front wall is bordered across its top edge by a lip or hood 4 which extends horizontally, its upper surface forming a fiat area extending beyond the top deck 3. The lip 4 is rounded at its lateral extremities and merges into vertical flanges 5 bordering the lateral sides of the front wall. The flanges 5 gradually decrease in height toward the bottom of the front wall.

The upper portion of the front wall immediately below the lip or hood 4 slopes inwardly as indicated by 6. Centered in this inwardly sloping portion is a spout opening 7 which is bordered on the sides and bottom by a spout 8 which extends outwardly and curves downwardly. The spout 8 decreases in cross section toward its extremity and terminates in a relatively sharply defined U-shaped lip 9 undercut or relieved at its back side as shown best in Figure 3.

My pitcher or teapot is formed of ceramic material or of glass. In order that the spout be dripless it is essential that the undercut lip or extremity of the spout be relatively thin in cross section and, therefore, relatively fragile. While so-called dripless spouts have been previously made, they have had the common drawback of frailty. In the exercise of the present invention the spout is set within the boundaries of the hood 4 and flanges 5 and is thus protected against accidental engagement in the course of handling, washing or using the pitcher.

The top deck 3 is provided with a rectangular filler opening 10 with recessed forward and rearward margins 11 and 12. The opening is closed by a cover 13 having end flanges which rest on the recessed margins 11 and 12. The cover includes downwardly directed boss 14 which fits loosely within the opening and is undercut slightly at its forward side so that the cover tends to be retained within the opening when the pitcher is tilted forwardly.

The cover is provided with a cover handle 15 disposed longitudinally thereon and arranged so that its upper surface is substantially flush with the upper surface of the hood or lip 4. Rearwardly of the filler opening 10 2,764,170 Patented Mar. 15, 1955 ice the top deck 3 is provided with a pitcher handle 16 having a linger opening therein and arranged so that its upper surface is likewise flush with the cover handle 15 and the lip or hood 4. The forward portion of the pitcher handle 16 overlies the recessed margin 12 and corresponding margin of the cover 13 and its underside is notched to form a shoulder 17 which cooperates with the corresponding margin of the cover to retain the cover in place when 111C pitcher is tilted forwardly. In order to facili- 0 tate use or the pitcher as a teapot, the sides of the tiller opening 10 may be notched as mdlcated by 18 to receive the string of a tea bag.

By reason or the essentially rectangular form of the vessel and the flat surtace provided by the handles 15 and 16 and hood 4, a number of pitchers may be stacked, one on the other, and packed side by side so as to occupy a minimum amount or space. This is particularly desidable when the pitcher is made of such size as to serve as an individual teapot for use in restaurants.

having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that 1 do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A pitcher, comprising: a substantially closed vessel; a rib pro ecting forwardly from the top and ad acent sides of said vessel to form a guard hood; and a pouring spout communicating within the interior of said vessel and projectmg therefrom within the boundaries of said hood and protected thereby against accidental engagement.

2. A pitcher, comprising: a vessel having a substantially flat front wall sloping inwardly at its upper portion; a hood pro ecting forwardly over said inwardly sloping portion; and a spout pro ecting from said inwardly sloping potrion and guarded by said hood against accidental engagement.

3. A pitcher, comprising: a substantially closed vessel having a sloping top deck defining a filler opening; a pitcher handle projecting upwardly from the low side of said sloping top deck; and a cover for said opening and having a handle cooperating with said pitcher handle to form a horizontal surface on which to stack a similar pitcher.

4. A pitcher, comprising: a substantially closed vessel having a sloping top deck defining a filler opening; a pitcher handle projecting upwardly from the low side of said sloping top deck; a cover for said opening and having a handle cooperating with said pitcher handle to form a horizontal surface on which to stack a similar pitcher; a spout at the upper portion of the side of the pitcher opposite from said pitcher handle; and a guard bordering said spout to protect said spout from accidental engagement.

5. A pitcher, comprising: a substantially closed vessel having a sloping top deck defining a filler opening; a pitcher handle projecting upwardly from the low side of said sloping top deck; a cover for said opening and having a handle cooperating with said pitcher handle to form a horizontal surface on which to stack a similar pitcher; said cover and pitcher handle defining interengaging means to restrain said cover in place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,716 Herring Aug. 11, 1891 769,171 Kray Sept. 6, 1904 1,095,959 Casey May 5, 1914 1,380,066 Johnson May 31, 1921 1,413,282 Lowenstein Apr. 18, 1922 1,416,321 Barratt May 16, 1922 1,599,967 Johnson Sept. 14, 1926 2,111,884 Cahaney Mar. 22, 1938 2,323,468 Hevers July 6, 1943 2,334,533 Armstrong Nov. 16, 1943 2,661,872 Trautvetter Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 598,125 Germany June 6, 1934 

